Isolate apartheid Israel

Israel stands increasingly isolated following its attack on the peace flotilla, in which nine Turkish activists on board the Mavi Marmara were murdered and many more wounded.

The attack on the flotilla, like the siege of Gaza, is aimed at demoralising Palestinians and their supporters. But the global pressure was enough to force Israel to announce a token relaxation of the blockade of the 1.5 million people crammed into the tiny coastal strip.

Mass outrage in Turkey has also put significant pressure on its government, which has had close political and military ties with Israel.

Opposition to apartheid Israel deepened after its 2006 attack on Lebanon. It deepened again after the horror of its December 2008-January 2009 attack on Gaza.

This has given a boost to the global campaign to isolate Israel in the same way that Apartheid South Africa was isolated.

That successful and peaceful international campaign put pressure not only on the Apartheid regime but also on governments reluctant to criticise it. It proved an important vehicle to allow global, people-powered movements to take the lead when governments were unwilling to act.

The global boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel was called by Palestinian unions and other civil society groups in 2005.

Since the May 31 attack, the movement has gained new supporters. Even Richard Falk, United Nations special rapporteur for Palestine, said the BDS campaign was now a “moral and political imperative”.

The problem for Israel and its Western allies is that the siege on Gaza is not achieving its aim — to isolate Hamas and to cause so much suffering that the Gazans turn on their government. Instead, the sheer injustice of the siege is giving rise to anger against Israel. This anger puts pressure on Western governments.

In the year and a half since Israel’s last full-scale attack on Gaza, the global, Palestinian-led BDS campaign has racked up some impressive victories. Norway’s pension funds and several European banks have divested from certain Israeli companies, university campuses have cut ties and international artists have refused to perform in Israel.

Performers Gil Scott-Herron, Santana and Elvis Costello have recently pulled out of gigs in Israel. Since the attack, US band the Pixies cancelled a concert.

Since May 31, more trade unions and union federations have signed on to support the BDS movement’s aims, including COSATU in South Africa, Unite (Britain’s largest union with 2 million members), UNISON (Britain’s largest trade union for academics and academic-related staff in higher education), the Scottish and Irish Trade Union Councils.

Swedish Port Workers will blockade all Israeli ships and cargo to and from Israel from June 15-24.

The South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union has called on its members to refuse to allow Israeli ships to dock, or to handle Israeli goods. On June 4, the South African Municipal Workers Union voted to ensure every municipality across the country was completely free of any ties with Israel.

On June 7, the Palestinian trade union movement called for international dockworkers to block the loading and offloading of Israeli ships until it complies with international law and lifts the siege.

A big danger to the pro-West Arab regimes is the anger of their own people. This is why there is a growing shift by Israel’s Western allies against the blockade. It’s not because these governments have suddenly developed a conscience — the siege is threatening to destabilise a part of the world crucial for the West.

Nicaragua has suspended diplomatic ties. Sweden, Spain, Turkey, Ecuador and South Africa have recalled their envoys. (Venezuela and Bolivia had already removed theirs.) A number of European governments have condemned the siege on Gaza, including Britain’s conservative coalition government.

Even the Australian PM Kevin Rudd, who famously said support for Israel was “in his DNA”, criticised the attack and said the siege should be lifted — while offering his understanding of Israel’s “security concerns”.

The US has, of course, come to Israel’s defence, but there are indications of some rethinking on whether the siege is a good tactic.

The problem for Israel and its Western allies is that the siege on Gaza is not achieving its aim — to isolate Hamas and to cause so much suffering that the Gazans turn on their government. Instead, the sheer injustice of the siege is giving rise to anger against Israel. This anger puts pressure on Western governments.

A big danger to the pro-West Arab regimes is the anger of their own people. This is why there is a growing shift by Israel’s Western allies against the blockade. It’s not because these governments have suddenly developed a conscience — the siege is threatening to destabilise a part of the world crucial for the West.

Israel depends on Western, especially US, support.

Plans to send more flotillas mean the challenge to the blockade will be escalated. If the pressure is maintained, it’s possible Israel will decide the siege is no longer worth the trouble.

This would be a huge victory for the Palestinian people and one that has the potential to give confidence to the whole Middle East and international supporters of Palestinian rights.

But it will only happen with ongoing struggle — and the BDS campaign gives the struggle an international framework.

Following the decision by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and the Australian Services Union to sign on to the BDS campaign, a range of regional trades and labour councils have also signed on, including the South Coast Labour Council and Geelong Trades and Labour Council.

Following the 2008-2009 attack on Gaza, WA Maritime Union of Australia delegates voted to support the BDS campaign. In May, the MUA NSW branch also signed on.

We need to make this latest atrocity the tipping point in the isolation of apartheid Israel.

"1763 in the Ohio river valley you got Lord Jeffrey Amherst committing to written order an instruction to his subordinate Henry Bouquet, having been defeated by Pontiac Ottawa confederacy in the field. The order essentially says that they have been defeated militarily and is therefore necessary for Amherst forces to request a peace, to sue for peace from Pontiacs people. He instructs Bouquet to convene a parlay with the Indian leadership for that purpose. And as is the custom, as is common courtesy among native populations as was known to the Brits at that time, it would be necessary for those who requested the council to give gifts to those requested to attend. Make those gifts, Amherst says, items taken from a smallpox infirmary in order, I'm going to quote directly now, this isn't a paraphrase: 'in order that we may extirpate this execrable race'. Now key is on this last word, had he said that we might eradicate the opposing combatants, their military capacity, their warriors.. what ever term he wanted to use, it would have been biological warefare. But he didn't say anything about that, he said the 'race'. His intent was to use biological means, to use disease, quite explicitly so, to eradicate an entire population group. And Bouquet was also kind enough to commit to writing in his response the next day, I have done as instructed, dispersing three blankets, two handkerchiefs and sundry other items, hopefully, he says, they will have the desired result. They did.. the lowest estimate of the number of people who died of smallpox as a result of that little gesture of friendship and goodwill is a 100,000!"